The Past of a Rebel: Anima's Story Revealed
by StarWarriorGirl14
Summary: Set before PMD2, Anima finds herself looking for the Underground, the human resistance against Primal Dialga. As she meets familiar faces from the game, follow as Anima strives to be included in the rebel lineups before meeting Grovyle. T for safety.
1. On the Run

_Augh! I said that I'd start this when I was almost done with Frozen Time, but I CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE WAITING! To be perfectly honest...I've never been a patient person. _

_Waaay before its intended time, here we go. Anima's story, revealed! Woo-hoo! (you people all know that I don't update on a regular basis, so hang in there, please! I'm working on three out of my four fics (four counting this one), and I only get my computer for an hour or so every night, so be patient. Or at least...more patient than I am...)_

_Also, I've fallen in love with first-person, present tense, but I'm not too good at it. Go easy, please!  
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><p>I wake up to silence. The same I face every morning. Wait...can I even say that now? In a frozen world with nothing moving, am I allowed to say that "morning" has come?<p>

My name is Anima, and I am eight years old. At least, that's what the rest of the humans say. We've found a way to keep track of how time _would_ be moving, somehow. But they say that I am wise beyond my years. I believe them when they say that; high intelligence tells people that you might actually have a chance of surviving into your gray-haired years.

"Anima, darling, are you awake?" A woman's voice calls out from downstairs.

"Yes, Mom. I'm up," I reply in my childish voice. I hear a sigh, followed by the voice of my father's tenor voice murmuring what I can guess is comforting words.

"Come down here, honey. We have to tell you something," I creep cautiously down the stairs, unsure whether or not I actually want to hear what they're going to tell me. I know that it's news that they don't want to tell me, but if they don't think that I can handle it, they won't be telling me it...right?

"How did you sleep, Anima?" My mother asks, her frizzy red hair tangled up in a snarl of rollers. Her weary brown eyes are tired and pained, and I know immediately that I am not going to like what she is about to say at all. My father is in no better shape; his chocolate-brown hair hasn't been combed yet, and he hasn't shaved, either. His eyes, a soft, tender hazel, stare sympathetically at me. I'm still hung up on the question lingering unanswered in the air; it's the question she always asks me before she tells me something bad has happened.

"What happened this time?" I ask with more seriousness than an eight-year-old should even be hearing, yet alone using.

"Anima, this doesn't concern the Underground," She says, but I can tell that she's heard something horrible has happened there again. "It's about...well, us, Anima," My attention has officially been acquired by her. Anything concerning my family, anything bad at all, can always get me to turn around and pay attention.

"What about us?" I ask quietly.

"Something that we should have told you a while ago, Anima," My father cuts in. My eyes widen; he has interrupted my mother. Things _must_ be bad if he has forgotten his private code of chivalry.

"What is it? Please, just tell me," I whisper.

"Anima...you should know...we're not your parents." The words cut into me with an amount of pain that I cannot even describe. A knife has torn into my heart, and every breath I take is a painful one.

"Wh-wh...what?" I ask, thinking that maybe, just _maybe_, I misheard.

"Anima." I'm getting tired of how they're starting every sentence with my name, but the initial shock of being adopted still hasn't worn off.

"What?" I ask, barely audible.

"Anima," They say, a little louder.

"WHAT?" I scream in a sudden burst of emotion. "If you're not my real parents, then WHERE ARE THEY?"

"W-we don't know..." My mother stammers, on the verge of tears. Oh, please, mother. Not the tears. You know that makes me upset, too...

"But that's not all. Your mother and I..." My father says.

"DON'T SAY THAT!" I scream at him, louder than I've ever screamed before. "If you're not my parents, DON'T SAY THAT!" I take several deep, shuddering breaths before I can speak again. "This...this doesn't make sense..."

"I know, Anima, but things are about to get worse. You need to get out of here. Now,"

"Why? You don't...want me?" The words hurt. Deeply.

"No, sweetie, you know that's not it," My mother says, sweeping me into an embrace. I remain in her arms while she begins to cry. "But we're in a considerable amount of trouble right now. Trouble that _you_ can avoid,"

"What kind of trouble?" I ask, although we all know that there's only one kind of trouble here dangerous enough to get them this upset.

"Treason trouble," My father admits. "Dusknoir and the Sableye will be here any minute. You have to hurry and get out of here. Before they take you, too,"

"But they'll see my things!" I object, with more strategic thoughts than an eight-year-old should be capable of. "They'll see them and know I was here,"

"Anima, did you really think we wouldn't be prepared for this? We can make any trace of you disappear forever," Her tone is supposed to be comforting, but her words send chills through my newly-wounded heart. _We can make any trace of you disappear forever..._They had an unpleasant secondary meaning that I didn't want to think about too much.

A loud bang at the door silences any racing thoughts any of us had.

"Open up!" The Sableye call in their raspy voices. "We know you're in there!"

"Go, Anima! Out the back door!"

"But..." The man I still can't help but call my father thrusts a worn bag into my arms. It is heavy with objects that feel slightly familiar through the canvas.

"We packed your favorite things while you were sleeping, along with some supplies for dungeons and things," He says, his tone rushed. "Now go! Go!" I rush out the back door, slinging the single strap over my shoulder as I do so.

I am off and running like a fired shot. I know the terrain well enough to keep my steady footing, and I have just reach the woods when a deafening sound rattles every bone in my body.

I can just hear my father screaming words at the Ghost-types that I'd rather not repeat, and suddenly a colossal explosion rocks the frozen earth. I am frozen with shock as I process what my mother meant. Yes, she certainly erased all traces of me from the world...as well as themselves. Choking on tears that spring from nowhere, I stumble blindly through the woods, unused to venturing past the first tree or so. I remember my father's warning about this place. _Never go in here, Anima. It leads to a mystery dungeon, and a dangerous one, at that. _I find it funny that the place I go to avoid trouble is a place filled with untold dangers of its own. Less funny that my "parents" blew themselves up in the hopes of providing a distraction.

At least, that's what I think they were trying to do.

It's been a decent while before I have to stop and eat something because I feel like I'm about to keel over from hunger. I open my bag and am relieved to find my drawing supplies, as well as a worn, wooden box that I have often seen on the mantle. I carefully open it and am shocked at what is lying in the red velvet lining the inside of the case.

It is an Icy Flute, one of the "Seven Treasures" of the distant past. All thoughts of food forgotten, I carefully blow out a note like I would have done on the regular flute that was probably blown sky-high back in the house. A single note rings out, clear as ice itself. I quickly look around; this was probably _not_ a good place to be honing my musical skills. I put the flute back before I'm tempted to play it again and dig around in the bag some more.

I dig through a large amount of Wonder Orbs before I dig a Big Apple out of the pile. Like the humans and Pokemon have continued to age and evolve, the fruit and berries here have still managed to grow. Thank Arceus...otherwise nobody would be here right now, except maybe the Ghost-types and Primal Dialga.

The Big Apple is partially bruised, but I devour it all too soon. It isn't until I finish that I allow my thoughts to wander. What do I do now? I can't stay here forever; eventually a Pokemon is going to come along and decide it likes the chances of taking down a weak specimen such as myself.

The answer hits me like the shock waves from the explosion that sent my world blowing sky-high on a ball of fire. The Underground. They're always looking for new recruits, and their policy seems to be to help any human in need._ If this isn't 'in need', I don't know what is,_ I think, trying to motivate myself. I am young and inexperienced and aware that it is more than likely that if the Underground can't find any skills they can utilize, then my chances of a safe haven are zero to none. But I have to try, because my supplies won't last forever.

Even though I have no idea where the Underground is, I can try to find it. Maybe I'll run across one of their members along the way, and my journey will be that much shorter. With a steely determination solidifying over my wounded heart, I set out through the forest, my pace (unwittingly) challenging any Pokemon around to just _try_ to get in my way.

And try they do. The first attacker is a Shuppet, who is hiding in the walls so I cannot counter its attacks that it flings at me without mercy. I cry out in pain and, forgetting the weapons in my arsenal, begin to run. Shadow Ball attacks are flying at me, spiraling off-course and skimming off my arms. The near-misses are a little _too_ near for my liking, and I pick up the pace. The Shuppet, joined by a Mismagius and a Dusclops that seem eager to join in on the fun are soon following me and getting closer with every step I take. My lungs are on fire, and it is adrenaline alone that is keeping one foot pounding in front of the other.

I stop as my foot, upon making impact on the ground, makes a subtle 'click' instead of the _thud_ I'd been expecting. I freeze, my instincts knowing what it is and warning me of it a heartbeat too late.

A loud explosion resounds through the air, and I am thrown upwards and outwards by the explosion. Flames lick at my face, my clothes, my hair, as I cry out. I see the Pokemon chasing me retreating, and it takes me a moment to realize that I'm sailing through the air. _Did I get blown onto a fan trap or something, too? Because Explosion Traps don't do this,_ I think, leaves and branches whipping against my back. I land hard, and the only thing keeping my neck from being broken upon landing is the bag that has remained on my shoulders. Thank Arceus for that, but the worst is yet to come.

Upon landing, I am bounced into the air as I hit the bag and fly upwards ever so slightly. I tumble backwards through the forest, acquiring many bumps and bruised before I feel my head colliding with the only tree that is in my way.

"Ugh..." I groan, gritting my teeth and making an effort to remain conscious. It isn't enough, and soon enough the inky blackness hovering in the corners of my vision take over.

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><p>"Hey, you? Are...are you all right?" A voice calls, slicing through the silence that has occupied my mind. I can't quite respond yet, however. "Oh, my, this isn't good...not good at all..." There is a pause, and I can barely feel a tiny hand on my throat. <em>Checking for a pulse,<em> I realize.

"Oh, dear," I hear it again, and this time I'm getting a faint sense of what the voice sounds like. I know now that whoever has found me is a girl. But I am soon aware of my heart fluttering weakly...the fog taking over my mind. "What to do, what to do...it's not every day I come across a dying human...oh, yes! Of course!" Suddenly, the quiet pealing of a bell radiates calmly through the air, and the fogginess fades away almost instantly. My eyes flutter openly as I take in a deep, if painful, breath of air.

"Ohhh..." I moan as the figure in front of me swims into focus. I see that it is a Pokemon, one that is small and light pink in color. She has small, silvery wings and bright blue eyes. _Blue..._ I realize. _Like the sky. In the past, that's what it looked like._

"Are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard there," She points out, biting her lip. _  
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"Your eyes," I blurt. "They're like the sky,"

"What? Oh, my, have they turned gray like everything else here?"

"No, no, nothing like that! It's...how the sky _used_ to be," I say sheepishly. The Pokemon hovers close to me, looking me straight in the eye.

"An eight-year-old, human girl...wandering aimlessly around the forest...knowing what the world used to be?" She murmurs to herself.

"I've heard stories from the elders," I explain quickly. "They tell us stories about the past,"

"'Us'?"

"Yeah...there's more than one human still alive, you know."

"Tee-hee! Of course I know that!" The Pokemon giggled, all traces of her previous seriousness vanishing. She spins around once in mid-air in her good humor. "I'm just surprised that you know those stories! They don't usually live long enough to be passed down to the younger generations, you know!" I feel a smile tugging at my lips, and I find myself smiling at this odd Pokemon in front of me.

"Excuse me? Who...are you?"

"Oh? You know, I could ask you the same question, flying in here all of a sudden and almost hitting me in the process,"

"I...I'm sorry," I say, figuring that since she saved my life, the least I could do is oblige her for a bit. "My name's Anima. I have nowhere to go, and I'm trying to find the Underground. I hit an Explosion Trap and wound up here...the rest you know," The Pokemon nods thoughtfully.

"You're a bit out of your way, if I do say so myself," I feel my heart sink.

"Really?"

"Yes, but you're not _too_ far from the right path. If you head down that way for a few miles," She says, pointing to a barely-visible path cutting through the trees and heading in the south-eastern direction. "Then you'll find it in what _used _to be a day or so,"

"Thank you," I say. "But you never answered my question. Who..._are _you, exactly?"

"Really? I thought you were just using human humor on that one!" She says. Twirling gracefully through the air, she says, "Dear Anima, I am the legendary Time Travel Pokemon, Celebi!"

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><p>Celebi and I talk for a while before I insist that I'd better get going. While I am dying to know how time travel works, I know that I'd best get a move on before I waste any more time.<p>

"Good luck, Anima!" Celebi calls after me as I set out on my way.

"Bye, Celebi! Thank you for everything!" I reply. Then, suddenly, I find Celebi rocketing after me until she is right in front of me. I stumble to a halt. "What is it?" I ask.

"Anima, one more thing...you were probably going to do this anyways, but be sure to be careful of Dusknoir. Don't give him any reason to remember your face, let alone your name,"

"Because I know you're here? I know Primal Dialga wants you gone..." I say, suddenly nervous. What if I'm caught and I can't keep my mouth shut?

"Oh, don't mind that, Anima. I can't be caught, you know!" She says, seeming overly cheerful when I consider the situation. "No, for your sake, steer clear of him. It's best to keep on the safe side of things. Just keep running in that direction, and you should find a run-down building that is shaped like a Wigglytuff. That's not the Underground base, but in there you'll find a middle-aged man named Wilbur. He has a long scar on his right cheek, and believe me when I say that you'll know him when you see him. Tell him your name, and he'll do the rest,"

"But how will he know what I'm after?" I ask. Celebi winks at me. That gesture makes her seem somewhat...less innocent, but I find it humoring.

"I'll take care of that, Anima. It's the least I can do,"

"But that isn't fair!" I argue. "You saved my life!"

"And you gave me something to do," Celebi counters. I don't understand her reasoning, but she continues talking, giving me no chance of asking. "I know a rebel when I see one, and it's _imperative _that you survive the next couple years. When the time is right, I'll be seeing you again," Then she rockets off, a vivid, pink blur speeding past the gray trees forever trapped in time, leaving me stupendously confused. _Did she go into the future and see me meeting back up with her? _I ask myself. _What do I do? Do I make it? Am I accepted? What makes me come back here?_

I shrug. Worrying about it won't solve it, and I have a rebel to find. A scar-faced man by the name of Wilbur. I start walking down the path Celebi pointed out for me, and I know that it must be 'technical night' because I am too exhausted to take another step. I climb up into a suitable tree to spend the night. The frozen leaves seem to wrap around me, shielding me from the outside world. I am concealed. I am safe. For the meantime, I have found safety. _Don't ever believe you're alone, _I caution myself. _Don't believe you're safe. Hidden, maybe, but never safe. You're on the run, now. _I use my bag as a pillow, placing it in the curve where the branch meets the tree trunk. Leaning back against it, I find my heavy eyelids closing as I drift off to sleep.

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><p><em>Sorry that things seemed a little rushed at the beginning, but I promise I'll try to do better. Here's hoping this is as good as my other stories.<em>

_Reviews are deeply appreciated, but even going as far as clicking the "Add to Favorites/Story Alert" is appreciated. You have no idea how happy I get when I receive an email saying that somebody has been reading my story and has been kind enough to let me know._

_Click the "Go" button in the corner of the page! It shows you care!_


	2. First Encounters

_Sorry it took so long...been working on three different chapters for three different stories, none of which are done, and needless to say it it making life very complicated. This chapter itself (excluding my notes at the beginning) has a word count totaling at almost 4,200, for those of you who are interested. For me, that's a pretty long chapter. Enjoy!_

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><p>I wake up and know instantly that I've slept too long. I know because my stomach is rumbling at a volume that is obnoxiously loud, but also because I can hear the Sableye crashing through the trees. My heart ices over in fear. <em>How did they know that I'm here? <em>I try to calm myself down, because panicking about something that might not even be happening is not a good thing to do. _You don't know that they think you're here. You don't even know that they know you're alive. _

Slowly, steadily, I climb out of the tree as quickly as I dare. I wince and take in a sharp breath of air as something inside my bag clangs hollowly against the tree. _'Clang'? Gonna have to check what that is, _I think, before I'm running again. As I dash along the path, I dig through my bag until I find what I'm looking for: a Petrify Orb. There is an excellent chance that I might have to use it; if not against Dusknoir and his cronies, then against wild Pokemon aiming to finish the job the three Ghost-types and the Explosion Trap started yesterday.

The Sableye's voices are fading, and I take that as a good sign as I take cover in a hollow space at the foot of a large oak tree for breakfast. Pulling out another Apple, I'm a bit annoyed to see that much of my Apple supply is beginning to become deeply bruised. If I don't take it easier on the handling of my bag and all the supplies in it, then I might be down to a bunch of shattered Wonder Orbs and a large glob of applesauce at the bottom of my bag.

Still, the Apple is sweet and juicy, and the juice works wonders on my parched throat. A single thought hits me. Water. I need to find a water supply, otherwise I'm _really_ not going to make it. I dig through the bag and finds a water bottle filled a quarter-way with the clear liquid. But there's only one, and this one seems to have sprung a small leak. _Brilliant,_ I sigh and roll my eyes, cursing my luck. _Can things possibly get any worse?_ I immediately turn around and knock three times on the tree trunk, something my mother taught me to do to ward off bad luck. I'm not usually superstitious, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I continue on, hoping that with time being frozen, the effects of dehydration will be delayed as well.

No such luck. Soon my head is pounding and I'm finding it hard to see straight. My tongue is a dry wad of sand in my mouth. I stumble over a tree root seemingly appearing out of nowhere, and unlike the other three times, I'm having a difficult time convincing my body to stand back up. _Oh, just let them find me,_ I think miserably. _Please, Arceus, if you're not going to help me, then just make it fast and let me die right here and now. _I don't want to eat another Apple, because then I'm diminishing my food supply as well. I don't know where any water is, and even if I do there's no way that I'll be able to keep myself moving until I find it.

"Well, things are certainly looking bleak," I say aloud, shocked at how hoarse my voice is. It feels like with every word I say, that's one word scraping my throat raw. _This is awful,_ I think simply. _This is really, horribly awful._

I lie there for what feels like several "technical hours" before the sound of heavy footsteps jolt me out of me half-dead stupor. I look up to see a pair of tough, black, military-grade boots in front of me, their fronts criss-crossed with black laces and about as tall as the midway point on their wearer's shins.

The man looming over me kneels down to my level. His face is obscured by the shadows cast by his hood, which I don't quite understand. How can there be shadows when there is no light to cast them with? Then he pushes back his hood, and I gasp in shock.

The man looking down at me is in his mid-thirties, with coarse stubble on his face and a long, crimson scar slicing across the right side of his face. His icy blue eyes stare intensely into my cobalt ones, and his greasy black hair hangs limply in front of his face.

"Anima, I presume?" He asks.

"Y-yes," I stammer in shock. I didn't even make it to the Wigglytuff building, and already he's found me. Sometimes I truly cannot believe my luck.

"Celebi told me that it might be a good idea to come meet you halfway. I see you barely even made it that far," He says, and I can tell where this is going.

"My water ran out," I explain, not wanting to appear incapable of surviving out here, or anywhere, without help."I didn't want to use up all my food, and...this is the result of that," Wilbur nods, although he doesn't seem convinced. I sigh, knowing that the amount of time he's spent in the Underground is vital to knowing whether or not he sees any potential in me, dehydration or not. If he's just starting out, he won't be used to the rules I've heard about, which means that any human he comes across is a good candidate. Of course, knowing my luck, he's spent years in the rebellion and thus has seen many recruits more capable than I am. _Older_ than I am.

He extends a leather-gloved hand towards me, and I take it, allowing him to pull me back onto my shaky feet.

"You're about to collapse," he notes dryly, and I can't help but wonder if he's just noticed the state I'm in. "Here...climb on my back," I haven't ridden on someone's back since I was five, but it's not like I have any options. I climb onto his back without any arguments, although I feel embarrassed that he thinks I can't handle everything out here.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"The Wigglytuff building. Used to be a guild for exploration teams of the Pokemon variety, but now it's a rest stop of sorts. I didn't bring any provisions along," I am surprised by this. Why would an Underground veteran not bring any supplies if the rest stop was a day's journey away? Unless...the idea hits me. Unless it _wasn't _a day's journey away.

"I thought it was supposed to take a day or two," I say, and there is genuine confusion in my voice.

"Celebi underestimated your traveling capabilities," Wilbur says gruffly, stuck carrying both my weight and that of the bag slung across my back. "She assumed you were going to be petrified by fear half the time and have to eat every time your stomach growled,"

"Sounds like she _severely _underestimated me," I growl. "Because I'll have you know I haven't eaten any more than two Apples in the past day and a half." My stomach rumbles again, and I can tell from the shaking that follows that Wilbur has felt it through his thick cloak and is holding back laughter.

"I fail to see the humor in this," I say dryly as the Wigglytuff building comes into view.

"We'll be there in a little bit," Wilbur says. "Once we're there, you're getting all the food and water you can stomach and twice as much of than into your pack. Understood?"

"If I'm going into the Underground, doesn't it sound like a bad idea to get me used to large amounts of food that will probably never come to me?"

"Where on earth did you hear that we hardly have enough food?" Wilbur asks in surprise.

"I've been listening to the reports," I say. "You're supposed to be on your knees from hunger," Wilbur laughs. His laugh is deep and gravelly, as if his throat is lined with pebbles. I have to wrap my arms around his neck as he doubles over laughing.

"So they bought it..." He wheezes as soon as he gets his breath back. "The stupid shadowfaces have really bought it..."

"You mean the Ghost-types?" I ask.

"Yeah, exactly..." Another laughing fit catches me off guard, and I go tumbling over him and onto the ground. "Ohh, we fed them that pack of lies ages ago...but I'm surprised that they actually believed that our food supplies are close to none,"

"So you're not starving?"

"No, we typically have enough food to go around. Except when times are really tough...or tougher, rather," He reaches his hand back out to me, but this time I refuse it.

"I can handle it," I insist. "It's just up these stairs,"

"Yes, but _those_ stairs are steeper than a Numel's backside," I've never understood that saying, and that still applies right now. But as soon as I head up the first ten steps, I see that he's right. They're difficult, much harder than the stairs humans built. But I hide my fatigue from Wilbur, determined to show him that I can handle a few stairs, even though from my perspective they seem to go up to the edges of the frozen sky. At one point I misplace my foot and teeter slightly, almost careening down the stairs. By some extraordinarily incredible miracle I manage to right myself before that can happen, and I meet Wilbur's amused glance with a mingling of determination and chagrin.

"Steven! Keith! Hit us up with some food and water!" Wilbur shouts as he heads inside, strutting in like he owns the place. He might, I think as I follow closely behind, not wanting to be on my own in a place filled with such a rough crowd.

"Sure thing, Wilbur! Oh! Is this...the Anima you were telling me about?" A man with teal blue hair replies. He has soft hazel eyes and is wearing a waiter's outfit. The man next to him looks exactly the same, except his hair is a mahogany color that I have never seen before.

"Yep. Celebi sure can pick 'em, huh?" Wilbur says sarcastically. Steven and Keith snort with laughter.

"Really! That Pokemon's a total nut!" Keith laughs. That's the last straw for me. They can pick me apart all they like; it'll hurt, but at least I can use it as motivation to outdo myself. But if they're going to start commenting on someone they know nothing about...someone who _saved my life_...that's a whole other card game.

"Knock it off," I whisper, finding it difficult to stand up to people twice as tall, heavy, and loud as I am. They obviously have not heard me, because they continue on with their childish remarks.

"Time Travel Pokemon, indeed! I tell ya, sometimes I wish the Sableye would catch up to her. At least then we'll stop hearing from her," Steven says, earning a "Hell, yeah!" and a slap on the shoulder from Keith.

"Knock it off," I say, louder and with a bit more venom. Wilbur casts a sideways glance at me, and I know then that he has nothing to do with what these two are doing. But then again, he isn't doing anything to stop it, either. Steven and Keith continue on making their immature comments without even noticing.

My hand dives into my pocket and I whip out a newly-acquired item that I found in Dusk Forest: a bundle of Iron Thorns. I cut myself on one of them, and from the feel of it it's pretty bad, but I pay no heed as I clamber onto a barstool and hold one out in front of me. My every word dripping with fury, I snarl, in a way that is almost comical coming out of a child's mouth,

"Are you deaf? I'll say it one more time before I forget my manners: _Shut. The hell. Up._" Steven and Keith look at me with a mixture of dumb amazement and fear on their faces, and suddenly, to my surprise, they start laughing.

"Wow! Got a fiery one, this time!"

"Like a Seviper! This one has quite the tongue!"

"Not always," I say, putting the Iron Thorn away and returning to my normal voice. "Just when I'm genuinely upset,"

"Well, still! What a find! Celebi knew what she was doing after all!"

"For once," I groan and wonder if I'm wasting my time with these two idiots.

"Leave Celebi alone," I say at last, struggling to keep my temper in check. "She saved my life, and I owe her for that,"

"All right, all right...so, Wilbur! What'll it be?" Steven says before addressing his friend.

"A sack of Big Apples...a dozen water bottles...Anima, pick something for the road," I look up in surprise; I haven't been expecting him to include me in the determining of our food supplies.

"Half a dozen of Oran, Pecha, Rawst, Nomel, and Cheri Berries. And a handful of Stun Seeds for defense," Keith looks at Wilbur questioningly.

"Do as she asks," He says calmly, although he seems surprised at my menu choices.

"Why the berry blend?" Steven asks, genuine curiosity in his voice. I have to say I find him much more pleasant now that he's not making snide comments about Celebi. "Do you cook?"

"Not well," I admit. "But well enough so that people don't die eating it," Steven bursts out laughing.

"May as well admit it, right?" He asks. A faint smile twitches my lips.

"Right," I say. "Although I've never really cooked on a portable burner before," I still remember my initial shock when I uncovered that unexpected find in my pack, along with a few small but functional pots, as well as some silverware from the kitchen back at home.

"First time for everything," Keith groans, handing Wilbur a large canvas bag filled with the provisions he ordered. He hands me a paper sack that I quickly tuck into my own bag. I look at the emblem emblazoned on Wilbur's bag and don't find anything about it that stands out. Wilbur obviously recognizes it, though.

"A Treasure Bag! This must've cost a fortune! Keith, how in the name of Arceus did you manage to get this?"

"I bought it off a drunken traveler who came waltzing in here. Well, I say 'bought', but..." Wilbur slaps a hand to his forehead, all traces of wonder vanishing.

"I feel bad for the Pokemon this originally belonged to," He muttered at last. "They're rare oddities nowadays,"

"Hey, you would've been falling to your knees in wonder if you saw how I snuck that thing right out from under his table! It was _amazing_! I was _the best thief the world has ever seen!_ Oh, the stealth I employed...I came and went like a shadow!"

"Real modest, aren't you?" I ask sarcastically. Keith cuts off from his monologue, his face turning slightly red.

"Quiet down, there," he says at last, his ego deflating. "Where'd _you_ get _your_ Treasure Bag?"

"What?" I ask, looking over the bag. The emblem is gone, but now that I look at it, I can see the faint outline of where it once sat.

"I...I don't know. My father gave it to me before I ran. Dusknoir was coming, there was no time for questions,"

"D-does he know you were involved in that?" Steven stammers in a quiet voice as the door opens behind me. An oppressively dangerous tension forms in the air almost instantly, and instinct tells me who just walked through that door.

"No," I whisper back, making sure nobody but him can hear me.

"Good. Because if he knew your face, you'd be dead right now,"

"No whispering in the presence of Lord Dusknoir!" A Sableye snaps, lashing out at me. I barely dodge his attack on my ankles before another hits me from behind, leaving two long, bleeding cuts on my left cheek.

"Coward," I mutter inaudibly as the two retreat back to their ranks behind Dusknoir himself. I have seen him from a distance, but up close I can feel fear ice through my veins, stopping my blood cold.

"And what would two humans be doing with such large bags filled with supplies?" He asks himself, looking over me and Wilbur and, more importantly, our luggage.

"Just taking a trip. Is that against your master's wishes, as well?" Wilbur snaps. An odd look comes over Dusknoir, and as I watch I see a black sphere forming in his hand.

In that moment, I forget what Celebi warned me about. About not giving him a reason to make my face stand out among all the other humans he sees every day.

"Stop it!" I yell, throwing an Iron Thorn at the projectile in his hand. It pierces right through and keeps on going, slamming a good two inches into the wall behind it. The would-be Shadow Punch has been dissolved, but I get the feeling that now I'm in even _more_ trouble than Wilbur's large mouth had gotten us into. My suspicions are confirmed as Wilbur shoots me a glance that clearly says _What have you done?_.

"Hmm? What have we here...?" Dusknoir asks, speaking more to himself than anybody else.

"A girl who obviously has no respect for her superiors!" A Sableye screeches in a tone of voice I never want to hear again.

"W-with all possible respect, Lord Dusknoir," I say, hating addressing him like that but knowing that if I can at least _pretend_ to respect him then my chances of survival are sharply increased. "I just didn't believe that it was a good idea to launch an attack like that in such a...crowded area," Dusknoir seems to consider my lies. At least, that's what I hope he's considering and not how easy it will be to kill me right here and now. Or as soon as we walk out the door.

"You have a point. I will excuse this behavior for _one time only_, but if we meet again and your attitude has not improved, I can guarantee that you will not be walking away alive."

"Yessir," I say, hopping down from my stool. The Sableye seem to flinch forwards a bit, as if suppressing the urge to attack. Wilbur follows me as I lead the way out of the rest stop, watching the Ghost-types out of the corners of my eyes the whole time.

"Well...that was close." Wilbur says as we head down the stairs. I take a long drink of water from one of the water bottles.

"Yeah, it was," I reply.

"I'm surprised that that actually worked...no offense,"

"None taken. I didn't think he'd buy it, either," I pause for a moment before continuing, in a quiet voice that he can barely hear, "So...where's the actual Underground?"

"I'm going to tell you something, Anima, before I take you there," Wilbur says, kneeling down to my eye level. "At first, I wasn't sure that I was going to recommend you to be a member, simply because you almost dehydrated yourself. You've managed to change my mind, but I'm just warning you that the rest of the Council, the head honchos of the Underground; are extremely picky. If you can't get at least four of the others to support you, then I'm afraid that you'll be on your own. Do you understand?" I am shocked, to say the least. I had no idea the joining process was that...difficult. After all, hadn't I heard much differently? Or was that a lie, too?

"I understand," I say at last. "Now...can we _please_ go now?" Wilbur chuckles.

"I don't think you have much to worry about...as for where we're going, it's not too far from here,"

"Where is 'here'?"

"In the past, it used to be called 'Treasure Town'. It was a gathering place for explorers. Where we're heading is a place formerly known as Mt. Bristle. We've built an entire structure straight down into the ground; it's at least sixty feet straight down...don't ask how we managed that one, because I still can't figure it out," I nod, although the only ways that I can imagine to build a base deep inside a mountain revolve around explosives or Pokemon. Another part of my mind is focusing on another thought entirely; how Wilbur can talk about the Underground as if it is a hive mind. All these "we"s are beginning to annoy me, and I sincerely hope that I don't start talking like that, too.

"To Mount Bristle, then," I say, because I feel like I need to say something. Wilbur doesn't seem to hear me; he is preoccupied with a building resembling a Duskull.

"This is where exploration teams stashed their Poke," He explains. "It's still a valid currency, and if you can manage to get ahold of a bunch..." He looks into a vault that has been left opened and sighs. "Nothing in that one. I can't figure out how to open the rest of them, but I'm sure there's a ton inside," I look over the locking mechanisms. They're more complex than what I would have expected, but I'm still convinced that I can manage to pop one open.

"Watch my back for me," I say, digging around in my pockets for any junk that may prove useful. Nothing except a few Iron Thorns, which probably are too thick. I groan and fall backwards into the counter, where an audible bang is heard. I must have bumped something, and as I slide it out I find out what.

It is a simple wooden box, but inside is something much more valuable; a skeleton key to the vaults. I let out a little chuckle of excitement as I slide the key into a vault and pull open the door. Inside is a bunch of golden coins stacked up on each other and gleaming. Well, almost gleaming, because without light they cannot truly glitter like this.

"Nice job," Wilbur whispers, and I can tell he's impressed. "Find something to carry it in, and let's go," Something to carry it in. Why didn't I think of that _before_ I opened it up? I shake my head slowly. Sometimes my lack of common sense shocks me.

After a bit of more digging around, I find a few small cloth pouches that will certainly do. It takes six pouches to fit all of the coins inside the vault, but I know when I'm done that I have hoarded close to nine thousand Poke from a single vault. Closing the vault back up, I slide the key into my pocket in case I have to return. Besides, nobody else really knows that there is still money to be gathered, and in case I'm having trouble an extra amount of cash will be good to have nearby.

"Anima, I must say that you astound me," Wilbur says as I climb back over the counter. "But what are you going to do with all that?"

"If the Underground happens to be having financial troubles, and I show up with a bunch of Poke..." I begin, but have to stop because Wilbur is laughing. It is almost silent, but quite heartily, and he is left gasping for breath when he is finally finished.

"Here we have a small, unnoticeable girl who has room to learn, stealth and independence galore, the ability to lie to Dusknoir and get away with it, and 9000 Poke in her bag. How can the Council possibly refuse?"


	3. The Underground's Test

_Oh. My. Gosh. This chapter is over 6,000 words long. NEW PERSONAL RECORD! Well...anything taking up ten pages in a word document is gonna be long...heh heh..._

* * *

><p>When Wilbur said that the Underground base was pretty close to Treasure Town, I assumed that we'd be there in a few hours. I groan; it's been a day and we still haven't arrived.<p>

"Dungeons are more aggressive than what I remember them being," Wilbur says, nursing the couple bruises he got from a Geodude that was obviously not in a good mood. I snort; when he says 'aggressive', it's almost not a strong enough word. The Pokemon seemed dead-set on pounding us apart.

Still, though, I can't help but be annoyed at how long this is taking.

"You said Treasure Town was close to Mt. Bristle," I mutter. "So I thought it'd only take an hour or two,"

"That's how long it was supposed to be," Wilbur says defensively. "I'm sorry that I can't predict just how aggravating the wild Pokemon are going to be,"

"I know, I know..." I groan, looking at my reflection in a pool of frozen water. My short hair, light brown in color but possessing some serious natural highlights and lowlights, hasn't been washed in a few days, and I haven't had time to brush it with anything more useful than my own fingers. My face is streaked with dirt, and the two cuts on my left cheek are as red as ever. On the right side of my face, there is a dark bruise forming. That was gained from a little incident I had with a Machop on the way up. I'd challenged it for the rights to a precious Reviver Seed, and that had ended in an all-out brawl. I can't help but smile, though, because that very item is now nestled safely away in my pocket. The rest of my body is similarly bruised and battered, covered in a mixture of darkening bruises from two days ago and almost invisible ones that will be making themselves known by tomorrow morning.

I look over at Wilbur, assessing his injuries, and find that he's somehow managed to burn himself while we were going through that dungeon. I take out a pot, fill it with water, and place it over my stove, letting the water boil as I chop up some Oran Berries, throwing in some Rawst for burns and Pecha berries to ward off infections. It will be a pretty bad-tasting mix if I serve it just like that, so I find myself trying to come up with a way to make the flavor more enticing. The Rawst and Pecha Berries taste off by themselves, but with an Oran Berry and maybe just a dash of Nomel, it might not be that bad. The thing about Nomel Berries is that they are extraordinarily sour. A little normally goes a long way, but here a little goes a little too far. It takes a miniscule amount to get the right amount of zest without overpowering everything else. I smile as I reflect back on my first encounter with this strange berry. It was the day I learned, by experience, of course, that eating an entire Nomel Berry results in the inability to taste anything else for at least three days.

"What are you making?" Wilbur asks, hearing the bubbling water. I don't reply as I finish chopping up the berries, with the first three being cut into small little chunks and the Nomel Berry simply having some of the top scraped off with the side of an Iron Thorn.

"Food," I say. "It's good for you, and it keeps your stomach quiet,"

"Sounds like a new concept for you," I roll my eyes. Can't he just let that go?

"It's made of different healing berries. Oran for the bruises, Rawst for the burns, and Pecha for stopping infections before they start,"

"And the Nomel?"

"For taste," I say. "And if you don't like the way the soup turns out, just eat one of those and choke the rest down. You won't taste a thing," Wilbur genuinely smiles for the first time all day, and I relax. It makes the situation seem much more pleasant.

"I get the feeling you speak from experience,"

"Yep, that's right," I say, dumping my ingredients into the pot and sprinkling in a powdered Seed I found.

"I hope that that's a Plain Seed you're using,"

"Life Seed, actually. For Pokemon, it increases their health, so I figured that it might work the same."

"Let's hope so," Wilbur says as put the lid on top of the pot and let the contents simmer for a bit. It'll be ready soon enough, but until then we have to just tough out the bruises and wait. It smells good, at least, which is a good indicator that the stuff is edible.

"So, we'll be reaching the Underground base tomorrow?" I ask. Wilbur chuckles quietly.

"Yes, Impatient One," He manages to make the term almost endearing. "But once you're there...I shouldn't be telling you this, but I have to say that I hold you in some pretty high respect, so I will," At this I'm left starting openmouthed at him. After all, it's surprising that a man about four times my age has come to—dare I say it—_respect _me.

"Tell me what?"

"The test they give to all potential recruits. After joining, they'll send you on a dangerous mission that not a lot of people are sent on. They usually have you steal something from somewhere, but when I took my test I had to fight against a wild Pokemon."

"Is that where you got...that scar?" I ask quietly, hesitating to bring it up.

"Yeah. But you've already tangled with Sableye, so I don't think they'll put you through that," My fingers fly to the two cuts streaking across my face. They sting when I touch them.

"So, I just have to go get something?" I ask. "That sounds pretty easy," As soon as I say that, I want to smack my head against a tree. How can I say something that naïve? If course it isn't going to be that simple!

"Depends on where you go. For you, they'll probably choose something a bit easier than older people. You _are _only eight years old, after all," Funny. It feels like so much has happened in so little time that I've aged at least three years. I nod, not really paying attention. Then, the soup comes to my attention.

"Dinner is served," I say, filling two bowls with the broth. I have to say that it actually looks pretty good.

And good it is. The flavors of the berries don't clash against each other like I thought they'd do. Instead, they seem to have blended together. Wilbur even has seconds.

"Is this really the first time you've cooked on a stove like this, Anima?" He asks, spooning the stuff into his mouth with surprising speed.

"Yeah," I reply.

"Well, nice job. It takes a special person to be able to combine all these different flavors," I find myself smiling as I also take a second helping.

"Thank you," I say quietly. And I mean it.

A little while later, when both the pot and the bowls are completely free of any trace of soup and all my utensils are packed up again, a Pokemon cry splits the silence. It is an eerie sound, and every one of my instincts is telling me that that cry means pain and suffering and death. I shiver, but Wilbur doesn't seem to share my discomfort. Is it because he's used to it, or because he can't sense what I do?

"Are you all right?" He asks.

"That Pokemon...it's in pain. It's in pain, and it's terrified," I say gravely. Wilbur seems surprised.

"How can you be sure?" I shrug. How _do _I know? It's not something I wonder about. Maybe I should.

"I can just feel it. It's like...um...a sixth sense."

"A Pokemon sense?" He sounds skeptical. I laugh nervously.

"More like a Pokemon _instinct._ It's almost like I'm supposed to be a Pokemon, but wound up human instead,"

"Pity," Wilbur says as I climb up into another tree to spend the night. He lingers at the bottom, opting to keep a small watch out.

"Why say that?" I grunt as I manage to hoist my bag up to the top with me.

"Because a Pokemon has a chance against Primal Dialga. If a human ever confronts him, they're dead," I shudder at the truth in his words, but am also hung up on them.

"What makes you think I want to fight Primal Dialga?" I ask. He shrugs.

"Considering what his underlings have done to you, and also considering your wishes to join the Underground, it's only natural that you have a bone to pick with him,"

"That's right. I'm not about to go charging into battle, but that is absolutely right," I say, curling up into a small ball. It seems even colder than it usually does...or is it just my imagination? Whatever it is, I can't let it keep me awake all night. Soon, I drift off to sleep, the echoing memory of that Pokemon haunting my dreams.

* * *

><p>"Morning," Wilbur greets as I begin to show signs of life from above him. From the looks of it, he stayed below my tree all night. I don't give this too much thought; the night was pretty quiet, so he probably got some sleep in.<p>

"Morning," I groan in reply, struggling to bypass the half-asleep, half-awake state I usually find myself in when I first wake up. Again, I feel guilty for saying that. Because that implies that the world is not frozen to me; that this is how it always was, always is, and always will be. Except I know that it wasn't, and I want to return things to the way they once were.

But first things first, I have to reach the Underground. I'm sure they'll be able to help me. Besides, they're against Primal Dialga too, so chances are _somebody _will have the same ideas as me. The same desire to right the clocks, to brighten up the sky, to feel the wind brushing through the grass.

"Apple?" Wilbur offers, handing me a large, bright-red Apple in a much better state than what mine were in. I sigh internally as I take the offered fruit. Why is it that we do the same amount of traveling in both distance and intensity and _my_ Apples are the only ones close to becoming nothing but brown mush at the bottom of my Treasure Bag?

Still, my mind is already on the topic of finally reaching the Underground. I bite into the Apple, the crisp, tart juice filling my mouth instantly. I let out a small, dark giggle of pleasure as the juice drips down my face.

"Seems like you got a good one," Wilbur says, looking like he's trying extremely hard not to laugh.

"Yeah, I did," I reply, not really embarrassed.

"That's good," Wilbur says. "It's always nice when you get a nice Apple in your stomach the second you get up for another day's travels," His expression is almost wistful, and I can tell that for him, this doesn't happen very often.

And suddenly I feel guilty about rubbing this in his face.

I slice off a good portion of my Apple with an Iron Thorn and hold it out to him.

"Want some?" I ask, sounding like how any eight-year-old should sound. Something flickers in Wilbur's eyes when he sees this, and I think I've touched him with this offering.

"Thank you," He says at last, taking the Apple slice and biting into it. He smiles with the same glee I felt. "Ohh...that _is _a good one,"

The next few miles goes by pretty fast. We don't seem to run into any Pokemon on the way up.

"It's because they smell the humans here," Wilbur explains. "They know better than to come here," A sudden rustling in the bushes seems to contradict everything that he just said. We both freeze, but I can't throw an Iron Thorn fast enough before a large Pokemon comes bounding out and pinning me to the ground. It's a Luxray, and it is agitated about something. My eyes stray to the two long marks on its right flank. They're cuts, and they're relatively fresh...

I don't know what hits me the hardest. The fact that this was the Pokemon I heard scream last night, or the fact that the Sableye could be following us.

"Anima! Don't worry, I'll get it!" Wilbur cries, looking for a weapon.

"No! It's fine! I know why it's upset!" I reply, because I know that this Luxray really doesn't mean badly. It's probably just in too much pain to think straight. I refuse to believe that this darkness has twisted _all _Pokemon, and can't help but believe that this one is an innocent. Why? Because if it _had _been changed by the darkness of this world, then I would be dead by now.

"I can fix that," I say, hoping that this Pokemon can speak. The Pokemon here know, for the most part, how to speak in a way that humans can understand.

"Luxray lux," The Pokemon replies. Surprisingly, I can understand. _Please do,_ Wilbur looks confused, and I can tell that, while Pokemon sounds perfectly understandable to _my _ears, he might not be able to understand.

"All right. Can I get up?" Luxray seems chagrined.

"_Of course,_" I smile as I sit on the balls of my feet and begin to dig through my supplies, finally pulling out an Oran Berry.

"Here," I say, holding it out. Luxray, to my surprise, eats the thing right out of my hands.

"_Thank you, young human,_" He says. "_It's difficult to find a human willing to help a Pokemon,_"

"What happened to it?" Wilbur asks. Luxray shoots an annoyed look at him.

"_Your companion does not seem intelligent enough to understand what I am saying to you,_" He says. I giggle.

"I'm not sure that's the case...a lot of humans have trouble with that,"

"_I see. As for what happened to me, the answer is simple. Sableye,_" This one word confirms my hidden fears.

"Do they know the humans are here?" Wilbur pieces together the bits of conversation he missed and snarls in frustration.

"_No, they don't. They're just aimlessly wandering around, but they __**are**__ looking for a human matching your appearance,_" I let out a breath of air as I fall backwards, catching myself with my hands and lowering myself to the ground.

"You're kidding,"

"_I'm afraid not, young human,_" Luxray says soberly.

"What is it, Anima?" Wilbur asks.

"The Sableye. They're looking for me," Wilbur swears and kicks a rock.

"Great. It was probably your little outburst at the rest stop that did it..." I narrow my eyes in anger.

"It was that 'little outburst' that saved your life," I snap.

"_What do you mean by that?_" Luxray asks, sounding genuinely curious.

"We had a run-in with Dusknoir and his troupe of Sableye a while back," I explain. "I stopped him from using Shadow Punch on Wilbur here, and he doesn't seem to appreciate it very much,"

"Oh, don't turn that thing against me, too," Wilbur groans, earning both a snarl from Luxray and a growl from me.

"Stop it, Wilbur," I snap. "I don't know why you're being so mean to Luxray, but I want you to stop now,"

"Did you forget already, Anima?" Wilbur asks. "Did you forget what these Pokemon have done to you? To your species?"

"Not all of them are that way!" I protest. "Not all of the Pokemon here are corrupted, and sometimes I think we're more corrupted than they are!"

"But enough of them are!" Wilbur shouts at me with a volume the likes of which I have never heard. "Enough Pokemon have gone bad to make them all a problem! A nuisance!"

"Is that what you really think?" I ask, and even I am surprised by how hollow my voice sounds. "Is that really what you think?" Luxray attempts to comfort me by rubbing his forehead against my own.

"_All will be well, Anima,_" He says. "_All will be well,_" I can't say that I believe that, but it comforts me anyways.

"Wilbur, I don't know why you're so upset, but _please_...just trust me on this, okay?" Wilbur sighs.

"Fine. Fine. I've dealt with all that you've done so far, and that shouldn't change now. But we're literally on the Underground's front lawn."

"_You're part of the Underground?_" Luxray asks.

"He is. I want to be,"

"_I've watched humans leave for their entrance tests and never come back. I strongly advise you to be cautious in the extreme,_" Anxiety grips my heart, but I smile all the same.

"I will be, Luxray. Thank you for your concern," Luxray nods once before standing.

"_I must be off. I will warn you of anything I find suspicious,_"

"Thank you, Luxray. Really...thank you," Luxray smiles slightly.

"_No, Anima...thank __**you**_," And with that, he dashes off, disappearing in three bounds.

"Now that that's done...you ready to go?" Wilbur asks.

"Yeah. Let's go," Wilbur takes a bag out of his pocket.

"Forgive me for this, but until you reach the Council I can't let you see anything. Just an added precaution," He says, covering my face with the black material. Suddenly, I'm hoisted up off the ground, draped over his shoulder. I decide not to comment on the situation, mainly because I'm having trouble breathing with his shoulder digging into my stomach. Wilbur takes a few wobbly steps before he gets used to my weight, and then we're off.

I can tell when we get inside because the air is a touch warmer. We walk down a few stairs, from the feeling of it. With every step down, his shoulder jabs into my stomach, and I grit my teeth in pain every time it happens. It's going to take a miracle for this to _not_ be bruised by the time we reach the Council.

"Hey, Wilbur! Whatcha got there?" A young, male voice asks.

"Can't you see for yourself? He's got a possible recruit!" A feminine voice snaps, sounding around the first boy's age.

"Bit young. I'd say he brought in someone on Dusknoir's bad side again..." There is a smacking sound, and my guess is that the girl just slapped her friend.

"Just shut up, you idiot!"

"Okay, okay, jeez...see ya around, Wilbur," Wilbur chuckles as he begins walking again.

"How you doing back there, Anima?"

"I can't believe you're asking me that," I groan, my stomach sore beyond belief.

"Right. Sorry. We're almost there..." He stops, and then walks forwards before stopping again. The sound of a door closing echoes behind us. Then, Wilbur sets me down on my feet, and I bend over a bit, trying to get my breath back.

"Is this the girl you were telling us about?" A man's voice drawls. He sounds old and bored out of his mind.

"Yes, Drayk. This is her,"

"Well, let's take a look, then," Another voice says. The bag is lifted off my head and I blink in the bright light. The lights from above buzz with electricity and are a bright white that hurts the eyes. Then I look around the room.

Silver linoleum covers the floor, and the walls are made of a metal that is about the same color. In fact, everything in here is the color of silver, except for the paintings lining the walls and the furniture in the room.

The Council itself is comprised of six people, seven including Wilbur. The oldest one, Drayk, sits in the center, with a long white beard hanging to his collar. There is a young woman with teal hair and a slightly-older man with bright red hair. The youngest has to be a boy around fifteen, with pitch black hair cut extremely short. He is looking at me with an expression of curiosity.

"State your name and age," Drayk says passively.

"Anima, age eight," I say. There is a surprised murmur sweeping through the five other Council members.

"I see. And your reason for coming here?" That's a long story, but I tell it the best I can. How the Ghost-types were after my adopted parents, and how they blew the house up after steering me towards the forest. How I ran into Celebi and how she pointed me towards the Underground's general direction. How I met up with Wilbur and how we encountered Dusknoir and the Sableye at the rest stop. How I managed to open one of the safes at the abandoned bank (this particular bit of my story gets their attention). I don't know whether or not to mention Luxray, but Wilbur points that aspect of the story out for me. The Council begins talking amongst itself.

"So...you've obviously shown some skills with surviving by yourself in hostile territory," Drayk says at last. "And you've shown true determination to reach here. I am willing to ignore your dehydration incident because of all that you've managed. The Poke you've acquired will be quite the asset to the Underground...if you choose to give it to us, that is," I furrow my brow, not wanting to be parted with all of it.

"I'll give you 7000 of it," I say. "But the other 2000 is mine," Drayk, along with the other Council members, chuckle a bit.

"All right, Anima," Drayk says, still laughing. "Deal. Now, Zachary...what do you think?" The redheaded man speaks up enthusiastically.

"I say hell yeah! We could use someone like her with us!" Drayk seems slightly surprised by Zachary's outburst.

"All right...Jordan, how about you?"

"I don't know...she's so young..." The teal-haired woman says. "Anima, you've done so much to make it this far, and it's not like I don't respect that...but I can't be letting you rush into this unless you're sure about this," I frown. I did _not _come all this way to be turned back now.

"I'm positive, Jordan," I say. "The Underground is my last hope."

"Then I say yes, let her join," Jordan sounds sad when she says this.

"Wilbur, I'm not letting you vote simply because I want to keep things as unbiased as possible. Micheal, how about you?"

"Absolutely not," A man with blonde hair snaps. "There is no way I'm allowing a little kid to enter our ranks, accomplishments or not," This time my frown turned into a full-blown scowl. I'm not liking Micheal too much.

"I have to agree," A woman beside him says. Her hair is a soft brown. "We don't need help from a little kid. Not when she could get herself caught and expose us all," Drayk sighs.

"All right. Micheal, Jane, you've voiced your opinions. Blaine, up to you," I look at the teenage boy with the black hair and know that my fate rests entirely in his hands.

"Anima, I just want to tell you this. Everyone wants to be a part of this, until they figure out what really happens. Then they want to get out—naturally—but they find that they can't, that it's far too late for that. Once you're in, there's no turning back. You'll be stuck here until the end. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"I don't have anywhere else to go," I repeat.

"And the Sableye are chasing her," Jane says, bringing up the one part of our journey that I would have rathered Wilbur kept between us.

"It's a complication," Blaine agrees. "But _you_ had them on your tail for quite some time, Jane."

"Shut up, boy," Jane snarls, much fiercer that I expected. "Before I feed you your organs,"

"Jane, keep your comments age-appropriate," Drayk snaps. "There's a child here. Blaine, your decision?" Blaine looks right at me, his hazel eyes boring into mine with a gentle intensity.

"I say...yes." He says, and I am elated.

"All right, Anima. You're now an almost-member of the Underground." Drayk says, and I can hear the authority in his voice saying that this is final. Micheal and Jane look deflated. Jordan seems uneasy, but pulls off a smile anyways. Wilbur claps me gently on the back, and Blaine nods in acknowledgment at me, a small smile on his face. I walk up to Drayk's chair and hand him the 7000 Poke I promised him.

"This is impressive for anybody, Anima," He says. "I congratulate you. Jordan will show you to your quarters, and we'll come get you when we've come up with your admittance test."

"All right," I say as Jordan walks over to me.

"This way, Anima," She says quietly, leading me out of the room. She has on a black dress with black leggings on underneath, with tall black boots that _click-clack _softly on the floor as she walks.

"Are you okay, Jordan?" I ask, ignoring my surroundings as I focus on her worried face.

"I'll be fine," She says, wiping away a few tears. "It's just...you remind me of my own daughter. She was around your age, before the Sableye..." She chokes on a sob, and I suddenly understand her reluctance. I remind her of the daughter she lost, and she doesn't want to lose her twice.

"I...I'm sorry,"

"No, it's not your fault. Here we are," She says, stopping in front of a door that is a bright blue in color. "This is your room. This is one of the few rooms made for one person, besides the Council member's rooms, so be thankful,"

"I am," I say, looking at the Pokemon emblazoned on the front of the door with a deep violet paint. It's an Eevee. Jordan smiles.

"All rooms have doors painted with a specific Pokemon. The hallways look the same, so it helps us keep track of who's where."

"What's your Pokemon?" I ask.

"My door? I'm a Dragonair." I smile. That Pokemon seems to suit her.

"Anybody else I should know about?"

"Wilbur's room is labeled with a Lauturn, Blaine has a Raichu, Drayk is an Alakazam, Micheal is a Houndoom, and Jane is a Kabutops. But you'll probably want to avoid the last two. I nod. Micheal and Jane don't seem to like me very much, and to be honest, the feeling is mutual.

"So I just sit here until you call?" I ask, looking around. All of a sudden, the bed in the corner of the room looks very inviting...

"Yes, that's it. Good luck and...oh, Anima?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful. Micheal and Jane come up with most of the tests, so there's no telling what they have in store for you. They're probably going to come up with something ridiculously hard to make you quit before you even start," I shudder. If Micheal and Jane are coming up with my test, then I'm _definitely _going to want to get some sleep.

"Okay. Thanks for the warning, Jordan."

"Sure thing, Anima. You need anything, you just let me know, okay?" Jordan says as she quietly closes the door behind her.

"Okay," I say as it softly clicks shut. Then, I set my bag down on the floor and collapse onto the bed, which is covered in silky sheets that are a soft lavender color. I fall asleep soon after.

* * *

><p>A while later, there is a soft knocking at my door.<p>

"Anima? They're ready for you," Blaine says from the other side. I groan, roll out of bed, and open the door.

"Don't bring your pack," He says, so I just follow him down the hall to the Council's room.

"Anima. We've devised a test for you," Drayk says, sounding far from pleased with their brainstorming's results. I look at Micheal and Jane, who are exchanging smug looks, and know instantly that I am _not _going to like this at all.

"What do I have to do?" I ask. Drayk sighs.

"Wilbur, why don't you explain it to her?" Wilbur looks like he doesn't want anything to do with this, but he agrees anyways.

"Far from here, Anima, is a place known as the Hidden Land. There, in the Hidden Land, is Temporal Tower," My eyes widen in shock and terror.

"Temporal Tower? _The _Temporal Tower? Home of Primal Dialga and all his Ghost-type henchmen? You want me to go _there_?"

"Well, not there exactly, but you _will _be in the Hidden Land itself,"

"Concealed Ruins, to be exact," Zachary puts in. Somehow that doesn't help.

"Why am I even _going _to Concealed Ruins? What's there?" I ask.

"Dusknoir's study," Jordan says. The meaning of this hits me head-on.

"You want me to steal something from there, don't you?" I ask dubiously. Drayk sighs.

"Yes, Anima. Micheal and Jane, to be more specific," I look over at the two and scowl.

"That somehow doesn't surprise me," I say through gritted teeth. "What do I need to get?"

"Anima, you can't be serious!" Wilbur exclaims, standing upright from his chair. He bangs his knee against the table as a result, but I don't think he notices.

"Wilbur, sit down!" Drayk barks.

"But sir, you can't just send her into the belly of the beast! Not when she's already come to Dusknoir's attention!"

"Well, that's the point, isn't it?" Jane asks, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "What's the point of a test if it's easy?"

"Wilbur, I'll be fine," I say, although there is no denying the slight quiver in my voice. My encounter with Dusknoir at the rest stop is parading through my memories, and I have no desire to repeat that incident. But what choice do I have?

"In Dusknoir's study, there should be a white, glowing orb about the size of your fist," Jane continues, this time speaking to me with a smugness in her voice that I can't stand. "It's an Icy Globe, and it's highly rare. Seeing as though neither Dusknoir nor Primal Dialga are employing Ice-types, then the item is used solely as decoration. We'd like you to liberate it and bring it back here,"

"How do you even know that that item's there?" Blaine asks. Jane sighs heavily and very theatrically.

"A little Pidgey told me. Literally. And besides, that item was mine to begin with," I feel my anger mounting. So she's sending me on an expedition filled with danger to go get an item that she's too lazy to go get herself? The thought of that is almost enough to make me consider quitting.

Then again, how satisfying would it be for me to go off on this job they're never expecting me to take, and _succeed_? I smirk; the idea has merit.

"All right. How do I get there?" The room falls deathly quiet. Jordan, Blaine, and Wilbur are staring at me in horror, Drayk seems surprised and a bit concerned, and Micheal and Jane have lost all traces of superiority. In fact, they look a bit...scared. Like they just figured out that in doing this, they could be sending an eight-year-old girl off to her death.

"A-A-Anima, you don't have to go," Jane stammers, still half in shock. "P-please don't. It was just...we never meant for you to actually go,"

"He took your item, Jane," I say firmly. "I'll go get it back. And besides, it _is _my test,"

"Anima! Please, just stay here. Don't go there. If you do, I can't guarantee that you'll come back..." Wilbur pleads.

"We'll think of something else. Something not so life-threatening," Jordan says.

"You have no idea how dangerous the Hidden Land is. We never should have brought it up," Micheal says.

"Anima, just stay here until we figure something else out," Blaine says from the doorway.

"_Silence_! All of you, quiet! Let the girl speak for herself!" Drayk bellows.

"If we let her speak for herself, then she'll talk herself into dying an early death. Drayk, I can't let her go do this," Wilbur argues.

"Wilbur, you are going to have to let her go. This is Anima's test. Should she be willing to accept it, then there is nothing that any of us can do,"

"Wilbur...Jordan...I'll be extra careful. I promise. Just please let me go. I feel like I have to, and not because it's a test. Besides, it'd be a good way to see how much they know about the Underground," There is truth in my words, and they can't argue with that. Drayk sighs, also looking like he wants to take back Micheal and Jane's test for me. But he nods.

"Very well, Anima. Very well," I look around the room. Even Micheal and Jane, who seemed to hate me at first, seem troubled at the idea of me never returning from their test. How horrible they must feel, knowing that it's possible that they might just be responsible for my death.

I can't let that happen. I just can't let that happen.

I walk out the door without another word, and soon I hear someone running after me.

"Anima!" I turn around in surprise. It isn't Jordan, like I thought. Instead, it's Jane, and I can tell that she'd rather not be running in those boots of hers.

"Take this. It'll help you remain a little bit more unnoticed," She hands me a scarf that used to be pitch-black at some point, but is now a bit on the gray side. "It's a Sneak Scarf," she explains as I tie it around my neck. "It makes it easier to sneak around without being heard," I take a few experimental

steps. Is it just me, or are my footsteps much quieter?

"It works," I say. Jane smiles. It's a genuine smile, and I find her much more pleasant now.

"That's good," She says, handing me a bag much smaller than my Treasure Bag. "This doesn't have nearly the same capacity as your Treasure Bag does, but where you're going, it's advisable to not be dragging around a clunky bag that big," I peer inside the bag, which is about the dimensions of two hardcover novels placed side-by-side. Inside is at least six Oran Berries and two closed pouches marked "Stun Seeds" and "Blinker Seeds". A Luminous Orb, a Petrify Orb, and four Rainy Orbs have also been added.

"Some Pokemon have the special ability to cause sandstorms. It makes it hard to see, so feel free to change the weather a bit," Jane explains in response to my quizzical expression. I nod.

"Well, if that's all...how do I get there?"

"You'll have to find a Pokemon of some sort..." Jane says. "I honestly don't know, and I'm sorry,"

"No, you've helped plenty. Thank you," I say, and I mean it. Because I don't think that she was trying to hurt me at all. Just scare me off for a bit. Jane looks at me and bites her lip.

"You're welcome," She says. As if in an afterthought, she adds, "Jordan told me to tell you 'good luck and come back safely'."

"Tell her I appreciate it...but why didn't she come tell me herself?"

"She's distraught," Jane says, a touch of sympathy in her voice. "You remind her of her daughter. You look a lot like her, and she was about the same age as you when the Sableye..." Jane trails off, unsure whether to continue. There is no need to. I know what happened as soon as I hear the word "Sableye". And suddenly I understand why Jordan is so concerned for my safety.

"Tell her that I'll be careful..." I start, choosing my words carefully. "And tell her that she's not going to lose her daughter twice," Jane nods.

"I'll be sure to let her know. Now, you'd better get going," I swing the bag over my shoulders and rush out the tall door.

"I'll get your Icy Globe back, Jane," I yell over my shoulder, walking out of the door without a second thought. After all the lights inside, my eyes take a few moments to adjust to the darkness outside.

"_Ah, Anima. Where did they send you?_" Luxray asks, arriving just as I step outside. I have to wonder whether he's been waiting for me the whole time. I hesitate to answer, because it's clear that he's hoping I got sent to an easy place. But I know full well that that's not the case.

"The Hidden Land," I say, and Luxray's reaction is immediate. He crouches down low to the ground, his fur bristling and a snarl rumbling in his throat. I have to say that it's a bit scary.

"_They didn't,_" He growled, all traces of friendliness gone. I begin walking slowly down the path, and he follows me carefully.

"They did," I confirm. "I'm supposed to steal an Icy Globe..."

"_Well, if it's just a simple item..._" Luxray cuts in. Suddenly I'm afraid to finish, but I do anyways.

"...from Dusknoir's study," I finish flatly. Luxray stops dead in his tracks.

"_Go back. Go back and demand another test. This is too dangerous even for an experienced rebel, and I can't guarantee that you'll make it back..._"

"Oh, not you, too," I groan. "Look, Luxray, I know it's dangerous, but that's why I have to do it. What's the point of being in the rebellion if I can't accomplish anything?"

"_So this is only practice for you? You're simply treating this death sentence like a minor errand?_" Luxray asks incredulously.

"The alternative is to be scared out of my wits," I comment. Luxray thinks for a moment, then smiles humorlessly.

"_Very well, Anima. You wish to complete this mission, and I will let you. But...until you reach the Hidden Land itself, I will come with you,_" I smile. Having Luxray with me will be a big relief, and I tell him so.

"Do you know how to get to the Hidden Land now?" I ask. In the past, a Pokemon called Lapras could be ridden to reach the Hidden Land, but now that's not possible.

"_We'll have to seek out Pokemon to help. Porygon. They can teleport you there,_" My heart sinks, even though I knew already that Luxray wouldn't be willing to enter the Hidden Land.

"Why can't you come?" Luxray flicks his ears in disgust.

"_It's the land of Primal Dialga and his Ghost-type cronies. I have no desire to meddle with them at this moment. Plus, you would be able to move faster through the Hidden Land that way,_" While I want Luxray to come with me into hostile territory, I hear the truth in his words and decide that it would be better not to push my luck.

"All right," I say. "Let's head out," Luxray nods, and we walk back down the mountain back to Treasure Town. My heart quivers in fear, and I don't blame it; with every step I take, that's one step closer to Primal Dialga. It almost feels as if I'm delivering myself to him. _But I'm not, _I think, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. _With any luck, they might not even know I was there, _The likelihood of that happening is pretty small at the moment, but I'm sure that at any rate, I'll escape with my life. Maybe I'll come out a little battered, but I'll come back.


	4. UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

_**NOT A NEW CHAPTER I AM SO, SO SORRY**_

...Hey, guys, it's been a while. I'm wondering how many of you are still actually here xD

Anyway, as you could probably tell, it's been a good few years since I've been on this site, and honestly, I kind of forgot about my entire account that I have on here. But I really do want to get back into updating stories; I miss writing this stuff, and between getting busy with other things and gaining other interests, I guess this just wasn't too big of a priority.

What I'm saying is this: what stories do you guys especially want updates on? I want to know just so I can prioritize, and start getting back into the stories that are wanted the most. I plan on updating most if not all of them at some point or another (My Artemis Fowl story and maybe one or two others will probably be deleted, since I've lost interest altogether).


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